An Atmosphere of Beauty

"Children growing up in an atmosphere where beauty is considered an important part of daily life cannot help being inspired to develop their own original ideas in these areas, nor can they help being prepared to live aesthetically themselves. There is a 'togetherness' in sharing a prepared table that even very small children feel, although they cannot express it verbally." 

Edith Schaeffer

These are words that guided me on my homemaking journey at the beginning of my child rearing years. Mrs. Schaeffer speaks so eloquently when she writes; she creates word pictures of simple things that speak so profoundly to our souls. In another place she shares that every dinner table should have a centerpiece that is vibrant, interesting, and transitions with the seasons and experiences of life. Such a focal point provides family members with objects of nature and beauty to enjoy. Flowers, moss, rocks, shells, seed pods, and more can be gathered outdoors and be brought inside to make creative points of interest without added expense or fuss. Including children and grandchildren in the process might mean adding points of color found in small toys like Lego's, plastic figures, or miniature tea sets. An atmosphere where creativity is encouraged can inspire a child and set the stage for original ideas as they grow through life.

Winter's Quiet

The seasons change, both in life and in nature.

 As winter nears, the snow falls and a sense of quiet fills nature's corners.

Like tufts of cotton, puffs of clouds waft through ridges and slopes. 

"Despite all I have seen and experienced, I still get the same simple thrill out of glimpsing a tiny patch of snow in a high mountain gully and feel the same urge to climb towards it."

Edmund Hillary

Winter. The season to "tuck in".

Quiet.

Snow.

Repose.

In Tea

 

In Tea the host is simplicity and the guest elegance.
If all is done in sincerity it is better
than a thousand graces.

Matsudaria Naritada

Well-Intentioned Words

"The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention . . . A loving silence often has far more power to heal and to connect than the most well-intentioned words. ” 

― Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D.

Tea Shops of London

Tea-shops, for instance. I remember when I first was an art-student in
London there wasn't such a thing as a tea-shop anywhere near where we--the
girl-students--could go and get some lunch or a cup of tea. The only places
of the sort were the 'Zoedone'. In the 'nineties they were very rough and
quite impossible to go to, though perfectly well conducted. Tea, coffee, or
cocoa was served over the counter at three-halfpence a cup. I remember the
joy and excitement caused by the opening of the first A.B.C. shop close to
Oxford Circus. I can only speak for art-students, but I am sure that every
girl or woman-worker in the neighbourhood felt that the era of luxurious
living had dawned on good old London at last.

Baroness Orczy, Links in the Chain of Life (autobiography), 1947
From The Victorian Dictionary

Most Consoling and Comfortable

"I enjoy tea, first of all, because it reminds me of my father who was
English and only drank tea. We never used tea bags in the home. We always
brewed tea, and I remember the lovely aroma and the feel of the warm pot. I
also, somehow, find tea very consoling."

"To me, afternoon tea is a very great pleasure and luxury. However, I am
rarely at home at that time. When visiting London, I think there is nothing
lovelier than afternoon tea with little watercress or cucumber sandwiches. .
.yum yum. . .I wish I could do this at home."

"It seems to me that tea is the most consoling and comfortable of beverages,
and also, if one drinks tea, herb tea is probably the healthiest."

Barbara Walters

A World Where There are Octobers

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. It would be terrible if we just skipped from September to November, wouldn't it?"

Anne of Green Gables, L.M. Montgomery

Teacup Rose & Friendship

It feels so good to have a friend on whom you can depend. A friend can help to mend a heart, boost you toward a brand-new start, clown with carefree schoolgirl glee, share a quiet cup of tea.

Jan Miller, Pals

Thinking of my tea-loving, kindred spirit friend whom I've been friends with since high school. Thank you for this beautiful teacup, RuthAnn.

Adventure & Poetry in a Cup of Tea

c.o.n.v.e.r.s.a.t.i.o.n

“Conversation. What is it? A Mystery! It's the art of never seeming bored, of touching everything with interest, of pleasing with trifles, of being fascinating with nothing at all.” 

Guy de Maupassant

Wise Words from Julia Child

Never name a dish before you serve it.

Your souffle falls in the oven? You're now 

serving Fallen Souffle.

Julia Child

Orb of Sunshine

Winter Aconite is one of the first flowers of spring. At the first of March, a row of them were blooming along Grandpa's pathway to his front door. They look like little orbs of sunshine! Their official name is Eranthis hyemalis and they are a species of a flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. Although native to woodlands of Europe, they grow successfully in many places in the United States. Aren't they pretty? I love the bit of cheer they add to a cloudy day.

• 
  

The Gardener's Friend

Here he comes, the perky robin in his gay red breast --- He perches on the barrow, absolutely self-possessed. . . . Looking for a snack perhaps, his dinner or his tea. But I'm inclined to think he likes a bit of company.

He carries on a conversation, chirping, twittering --- making friendly observations --- idly gossiping . . . And whether it is warm and fine or winter cold and grey --- He comes around to have a chat and pass the time of day.

~ Patience Strong ~

Opening Shut-up Hearts Freely

I have always thought of Christmas time as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely.

Charles Dickens

A Child Again at Christmas

Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time. 

~Laura Ingalls Wilder ~

Octobers

“I'm so glad I live in a world
 where there are Octobers.” 

L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

Keep Love

"Keep love in your heart.

A life without it is like a sunless garden 

where the flowers are dead.

The consciousness of loving and 

being loved brings a warmth and richness 

to life that nothing else can bring."

Oscar Wilde

Sunrise * Sunset

“There's a sunrise and a sunset every single day, and they're absolutely free. Don't miss so many of them.” 

~ Jo Walton ~

CrEaTiViTy

"It is in nature, among the things which God has created, designed and brought forth himself, that we are in the most natural atmosphere to be inspired. Creative ideas are apt to flow in the midst of the creativity expressed in God's creation, as one is temporarily from the confusion of conflicting voices..." 

Edith Schaffer

The Hidden Art of Homemaking

D a N c E

D a N c E

1. to move one's feet or body, or both, rhythmically in a pattern of steps, especially to the accompaniment of music.

2. to leap, skip, etc., as from excitement or emotion; move nimbly or quickly: to dance with joy.

3. a successive group of rhythmical steps or bodily motions, or both, usually executed to music.

"He who would learn to fly one day must first learn to stand and walk and run and climb and dance; one cannot fly into flying."

Friedrich Nietzsche

"When you dance, your purpose is not to get to a certain place on the floor. It's to enjoy each step along the way.

 Wayne Dyer 

The most important thing to me is to teach the children, so that our culture never dies. 

Blackhawk SanCarlos, Mohawk and Apache

All things share the same breath - the beast, the tree, the man, the air shares its spirit with all the life it supports.

Chief Seattle

Scenes from local Native American tribes 

at the Pendleton Round-Up.